Multi-turn wrap-around solenoids



w. A. RElMER 3,267,402

MULTI-TURN WRAP-AROUND SOLENOIDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGS Aug. 16, 1966 Filed Oct. 27, 1964 INVENTOR William A. Reimer fi%/ i ATTY.

Aug. 16, 1966 w. A. REIMER MULTI-TURN WRAP-AROUND SOLENOIDS Filed Oct; 27, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ml F FIG.5

FIG.6

INVENTOR I William A. Beimer w B I /iw/ I ATTY.

r 3,267,402 Ice Patented August 16, 1966 3,267,402 MULTI-TURN WRAP-AROUND SOLENOIDS William A. Reirner, Wheaton, Ill., assignor to Automatic Electric Laboratories, Inc., Northlake, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 406,691 8 Claims. (Cl. 336-200) This invention relates to solenoids for magnetic memories and in particular to printed multi-turn solenoids.

The fabrication of magnetic wire storage memory systems requires some type of solenoid-apparatus that is compact, yet able to provide sufllcient magnetic fields t reverse the remnant magnetic state of magnetic storage devices. Magnetic wire storage memories, called twistor memories, have employed basically two types of multiturn solenoids. One such solenoid is the wire wound solenoid. The wire wound solenoid has the disadvantage of requiring a winding bobbin on which it is diflicult to wind more than one solenoid at a time, even though the bobbin may hold many windings. Also, due to the folded plane arrangement of such memories, thin oval solenoids are diflicult to wind. Another type, the single plane printed solenoid, has also been employed in twister memories. However, this type of arrangement too has its drawbacks. A minimum allowable width and spacing is established by printing, that is, since the turns are in a more or less side-by-si-de arrangement, fewer solenoids of greater width are allowable along a specified length of twistor. Additionally, termination areas are increased.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a multi-turn solenoid which is free of the disadvantages heretofore associated with multi-turn solenoids.

Another object of the invention is to provide a multiturn solenoid of the Wrap-around type.

Another obiect of the invention is to provide a multiturn wrap-around solenoid that is fabricated by printed circuit techniques.

The features of the invention reside in the particular s lenoid construction. Basically, the solenoid is a flat conductor that is coiled to lie on itself. By applying the conductor on one side of a flexible, non-conductive substrate, such as by printing adjacent coils are not electrically connected and the number of (finished turns is equal to the number of times the conductor is coiled. In harmony with the just-mentioned feature, since only a single conductor of a few turns is sufficient, many separate solenoids can be printed side-by-side and wrapped into a group of multi-turn solenoids with ease and accuracy.

Generally speaking, a number of parallel conductive strips are printed on a substrate; the resulting structure is hereinafter referred to as a solenoid cable. The conductor Width is equal to the required solenoid Width and the spacing between conductors would be the minimum allowable solenoid spacing.

These and related objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description and by reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of another embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are views of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively, illustrating the solenoid cables in their folded, or wrapped conditions;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are cross-sections of FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively, illustrating the connection of the solenoid cables to connect-or terminal apparatus; and

FIGS. 7 and 8 are plan views showing variations of FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively.

Referring particularly to FIG. 1 and also to FIGS. 3, 5 and 7, solenoid cable 10 comprises a flexible substrate 11 having a plurality of tabs 12 at one end and having a plurality of apertures 13 therein. Conductive strips 14 are printed on the substrate and have at their ends terminal connections 15 and 1-6. In a memory system a'twister cable, a similar assembly of encapsulated twister-return wire pairs (not shown in FIG. 1) is placed over the left-hand end of the solenoid cable 10 which is then folded or wrapped around the twister cable substantially along the lines 1 to '5 in succession to form the as sembly of FIG. 3. The twistor cable is referenced 30 in FIG. 3. The apertures 13 are aligned with the tabs 12 longitudinally of the solenoid cable and are at every second fold line (2, 4, 6, etc.). It should be noted that fold lines 1 5 in FIGS. 1, 2, 7 and 8 are progressively farther apart, and that such spacing is necessary to: (1) insure suflicient length in cable design, and (2) obtain alignment of apertures 13 for the type of cable described in FIGS. 1 and 7.

FIG. 5 illustrates a section view o f-the assembly of FIG. 3 as it would appear when mated with a connector block 50.

FIG. 7 illustrates a variation of FIG. 1 wherein the substrate has only one tab 72 carrying a terminal Which is common to all solenoids via common bus 77.

Turning to FIGS. 2, 4, 6 and 8, the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. The solenoid cable 20 comprises a substrate 21 having tabs 22 one end thereof and tabs 23 on the other end thereof. Tabs 23 enhance the ease of alignment and connection to a terminal connecting block. Conductive strips 24 are printed on the substrate and have individual terminals 26 on one end thereof and, by way of bus 27, have a pair of commonly connected terminals 25 on the other end thereof. In this embodiment the connection carrying tabs 22 are spaced apart at each side of the cable, the intervening space being provided to facilitate wrapping the solenoid cable in the manner described for FIG. 1; however, this particular configuration obviates the need for apertures in the cable. A wrapped solenoid cable is illustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 shows a section view of the assembly of FIG. 4 as it would appear mated to a terminal connector block 50.

FIG. 8 illustrates a variation of FIG. 2, wherein the individual solenoid conductors are not in common at either end. Tabs 82 are designed to carry a multiplicity of terminal connect-ions.

During fabrication the solenoid cable may have a pressure sensitive adhesive or thermoplastic material 35 applied to the substrate to bond the layers together when the assembly is finally flattened, or heated and flattened, into an oval shape.

While the invention has been described by illustrative examples, many modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and should be included in the appended claims.

What is claimed:

1. A multi-turn solenoid cable comprising, an elongated substrate having a first end and a second end, said substrate including a plurality of tabs at said first end, said substrate having a plurality of apertures therein aligned with and spaced apart from said tabs longitudinally of said substrate, and a plurality of conductors carried on said substrate, each of said conductors having a first end terminal carried by a tab and a second end terminal carried by said second end of said substrate, said substrate being wrapped to overlay itself, and said tabs extending through said apertures to provide access to said first end terminals.

2. The solenoid cable according to claim 1, wherein said conductors are substantially straight, each said conductor being off-set from the alignment of said tabs and said apertures.

3. A multi-turn solenoid cable according to claim 1 comprising a layer of bonding material between the wrapped layers of said substnate.

4. A multi-turn solenoid cable according to claim 1 comprising a layer of pressure sensitive bonding material between wrapped layers of said substrate.

5. A multi-turn solenoid cable according to claim 1 comprising a layer of thermoplastic bonding material be tween wrapped layers of said substrate.

7 6. A multi-turn solenoid cable comprising an elongated substrate having a first end and a second end, said substrate including a tab at said first end, said substrate having at least one aperture therein aligned with and spaced apart from said tab longitudinally of said substrate, and a plurality of conductors carried by said substrate, each of said conductors having a first end terminal carried by said tab and a second end terminal carried by said second end of said substrate, said substrate being wrapped to overlay itself, and said tab extending through said aperture to provide access to said first end terminals.

7. The solenoid cable according to claim 6, wherein said first end terminals are commonly connected.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,000,441 5/ 1935 Given 336-200 X 3,057,952 10/ 196-2 Gordon 174-1l7.11 3,089,106 5/1963 Saatty 336200 3,168,617 2/1965 Richter 174-117.11

OTHER REFERENCES Flexprint Wiring Handbook of Design Information. 1958 Sanders Associates, Inc., Nashua, New Hampshire. pages a and 10.

LEWIS H. MYERS, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, LARAMIE E. ASKIN,

Examiners D. J. BADER, Assistant Examiner. 

6. A MULTI-TURN SOLENOID CABLE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED SUBSTRATE HAVING A FIRST END AND A SECOND END, SAID SUBSTRATE INCLUDING A TAB AT SAID FIRST END, SAID SUBSTRATE HAVING AT LEAST ONE APERTURE THEREIN ALIGNED WITH AND SPACED APART FROM SAID TAB LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID SUBSTRATE, AND A PLURALITY OF CONDUCTORS CARRIED BY SAID SUBSTRATE, EACH OF SAID CONDUCTORS HAVING A FIRST END TERMINAL CARRIED BY SAID TAB AND A SECOND END TERMINAL CARRIED BY SAID SECOND END OF SAID SUBSTRATE, SAID SUBSTRATE BEING WRAPPED TO OVERLAY ITSELF, AND SAID TAB EXTENDING THROUGH SAID APERTURE TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO SAID FIRST END TERMINALS. 